India and Pakistan are discussing if Sushma Swaraj and her Pakistan counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi can meet in New York later this month.

The proposal was made by Imran Khan in the letter he wrote on September 14 to PM Modi in response to his greetings on being elected as Pakistan's PM.

HIGHLIGHTS

Imran Khan wrote to Modi on September 14

Proposed the two foreign ministers should meet in New York later this month

Says India should agree to Pakistan hosting SAARC summit at the earliest

Pakistan Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan in a letter to PM Modi has reportedly proposed a meeting between Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj and her Pakistan counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi in the last week of September.

Officials of the two countries are discussing if the meeting can be held when the two leaders visit New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) later this month.

The proposal was made by Khan in the letter he wrote on September 14 to Modi in response to his greetings on being elected Pakistan's PM.

Sources say, in his letter, Khan specifically proposed the Sushma-Qureshi meet on the sidelines of UNGA in New York. Khan has reportedly called for solving all major outstanding issues, including the Kashmir dispute, between the countries via talks. He however mentions that terrorism is a spate topic that needs to be dealt with.

Besides the meeting of foreign ministers, Khan, in his letter, said that India should also consider allowing Pakistan to hold the South Asian Association of Regional Corporation (SAARC) summit at the earliest.

Sources on both sides have confirmed to India Today TV that missions of the two countries have been in touch with the respective foreign offices and are discussing possibilities of the Sushma-Qureshi meet after the proposal came from Pakistan.

The window for the meeting, sources in Pakistan say, could be a day before the SAARC council of foreign ministers meeting that is scheduled to be held on September 27. The other opportunity for the meet will be after the lunch on the same day.

Responding to the question on whether the two foreign ministers would meet, government sources said, "Our position is that talks and terror cannot go hand in hand. We can't prejudge whether they will meet or not."

The meet, if it happens, will provide an opportunity to break the deadlock between the two countries. The Indian side is yet to take a final call on the Pakistani proposal.

Meanwhile, even though political dialogue between the two sides has been put on the backburner after the Pathankot terror attack, India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and the then Pakistan NSA General Janjua continued their engagements.